Opening the event, the EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro remarked: “The collective presence of all partners and stakeholders today underlines our shared understanding of the need to work together across agencies and borders to uphold a peaceful, secure, and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. The European Union stands ready to support these collective efforts, fostering coordination, resilience, and freedom of navigation in line with the rule of law and the UN Charter.”

Participants deliberated on key policy, operational and technical areas and opportunities to enhance cooperation across the region, using IORIS, from the east coast of Africa, through Asia and the Pacific, to Latin America. The event featured presentations of success stories that illustrate the platform’s tangible impact and contribution to regional cooperation. Notable examples included the interdiction of narcotics and other contraband, life-saving interventions during complex Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, coordinated counter-piracy efforts, and cooperative actions to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fisheries (IUU).

“This meeting  set the path for IORIS to meet the evolving needs of our agencies and partners,” said Martin Cauchi Inglott, EU CRIMARIO project director. “We will align operational exercises, user feedback, and legal standards to build a future-ready system that strengthens trust and readiness.

Recognizing that maritime security challenges transcend national borders, participants worked together to plan a more effective use of the platform for interagency operational coordination and international collaboration, essential to swiftly and efficiently respond to threats at sea.

Vadm Roy A. Echeverria, Director of the National Maritime Centre concluded: “In line with the recent EU-Philippines Security and Defence Dialogue, the IORIS Steering Committee Working groups meeting will further deepen our strategic partnership, opening doors for enhanced cooperation in maritime security, hybrid threats, and regional resilience. This partnership, grounded in the rule of law and international norms, underscores our shared commitment to upholding a rules-based maritime order and increase regional cooperation on maritime security.”

During the conference, officials discussed latest IORIS improvements (such as Prime and Lite) and future plans for IORIS mobile application and variants, aimed to find suitable solutions for improving platform’s performance, usability, and operational effectiveness. Moreover, they provided feedback on system performance, identify key successes, challenges, and lessons learned, and agree on priority improvements and follow-up actions to enhance usability and operational outcomes.

The meeting also presented plans for future IORIS trainings and exercises, including frequency, participating partners, and exercise levels, highlighting the critical role of exercises in preparing agencies for future operational challenges.

Meanwhile, the Legal Working Group reviewed cases concerning the admissibility of digital evidence in different jurisdictions. They adopted a common stance on evidence obtained through IORIS and outline the legal steps required to achieve ISO 27001 certification, ensuring that digital evidence management remains secure and compliant.

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On the 13 of June, the New Zealand Ministry of Transport, representing the 11 agencies of the New Zealand Maritime Security Oversight Committee signed a partnership agreement with CRIMARIO.

This agreement aims to facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration at sea at both national and regional levels.

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Over the three days, participants considered how to move towards a common management of the system, to facilitate coherent and efficient use of IORIS amongst all users, whilst ensuring for the long-term vision of the platform’s adoption and employment.

Central to the discussion the enhancement of the of IORIS’ role in enabling Command, Control and Communication (C3), data storage policy, and the accountability of users, with the ultimate goal of strengthening cooperation for more safe and secure seas.

The meeting, co-chaired by CRIMARIO and the Sri Lanka Navy, is another important milestone for the Indo-Pacific governance of the IORIS platform, which endorsed, amongst others, legal documents consolidating the governance structure and establishing rules for the information exchange and for the general use of IORIS to best serve the needs of all users in the Indo-Pacific.

Moreover, the implementation of the Regional IORIS Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Indo-Pacific will continue to contribute to the enhancement of information exchange within the region in a harmonised manner, using standard reporting methodology and terminology, hence facilitating the coordinating process among members.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Lars Bredal, Chargé d’Affaires at the EU Delegation to Sri Lanka and Maldives, affirmed: “The European Union and Indo-Pacific countries have a stake in each other’s prosperity and security. Our regions share the same interest in upholding the rules-based international order – with the UN Charter at its core. In the area of maritime safety and security the EU funded CRIMARIO enables Indo-Pacific partners to better govern their maritime spaces with the use of the IORIS neutral and secure information-exchange platform. “

In his opening speech the Sri Lanka Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, highlighted a shift in maritime security strategies, emphasizing the growing importance of sharing information among maritime nations over traditional individual or country-specific measures: “This collective approach to information sharing is crucial for combating maritime crimes and ensuring safe seas, and maritime nations should join a maritime information network and relax individual information sharing protocols to achieve this goal. Furthermore, he emphasised the commendable contribution of IORIS instructors in expanding the perspectives of Sri Lanka Navy personnel and emphasized how the IORIS platform has been instrumental in effectively resolving and addressing maritime issues on a regular basis.

Furthermore, Martin Cauchi-Inglott, CRIMARIO project director, added: “We have learnt that to progress, we need to be innovative, plan ahead, and most important of all, ensure that all IORIS users feel that they are part of the decision-making process, and hence this Steering Committee. This pathway will continue leading towards greater achievements, in terms of both expansion of the Community and efficiency of the platform, and perhaps we should be now looking at more out-of-the box solutions to continue propelling us forwards.”

The conference follows the first IORIS Steering Committee (ISC) meeting held in Bali, Indonesia, in May 2023, which lead to the  implementation of the regional governance and the creation of its supporting working groups (Policy, Legal, Operational, and Technical) and the subsequent IORIS Steering Committee Policy Board and Working Group meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2023, during which specific actions were discussed to operationalise the governance of IORIS.

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Here are some points that emerged from the discussions between participants during the conference.

A collaborative approach

There is a general and quite positive tendency to seek external collaboration and cooperation at the regional or extra-regional level. Few States have the capacity to develop their own MDA with their national means, so the trend is to coordinate with regional partners and organisations as the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN), the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) or the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to contribute to a more inclusive and therefore more effective regional security. Building a regional architecture that aims to enhance MDA should benefit all users: countries and maritime actors in and outside the region with a legitimate interest in transparency and stability at sea.

This search for collaborative mechanisms and the recognition of the role of regional organisations or intergovernmental cooperation forums such as RECAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery) or the Jeddah/Djibouti Code of Conduct have also meant that the many initiatives proposed by the European Union to strengthen regional maritime resilience have been well received. This is particularly true of the EU’s CRIMARIO program and its development of the IORIS maritime information exchange platform, which was launched in 2015 to combat piracy in the Western Indian Ocean. Its regional success has paved the way for the establishment of CRIMARIO II in 2020, adopting a broader concept of maritime security and extending its scope to the whole Indo-Pacific. Similarly, in 2013, the EU financed the MASE program implemented by the IOC in the Western Indian Ocean. The EU is also supporting the operationalisation of the Yaoundé architecture in the Gulf of Guinea area since 2016 with the GOGIN initiative.

The importance of the Blue Economy

Another point is that coastal and Island States in the Indo-Pacific are paying greater attention to managing their areas of maritime jurisdiction and activities within them, meaning taking care of ‘Ocean Governance’. This is due to a better awareness of the economic importance of these areas in link with the emergence of the concept of ‘Blue Economy’ and the need to contribute to the security and the safety of the oceans to benefit from their resources. With the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean as part of a major Sea Line of Communication (SLOC) for trade and commerce and are rich in natural resources, including fish, which need to be developed sustainably, the Blue Economy holds great promise for the all-region.

Apart from the Blue Economy, the growing interest for greater MDA in the Indo-Pacific and beyond reflects the evolving security challenges that the region is facing. One would observe that these new challenges are mainly linked to non-traditional security threats, such as Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing, climate change, marine pollution, and smuggling of all kinds. This is particularly noticeable in the South Pacific.

Rise of maritime Law enforcement forces

A recent trend that one can also observe in the all-region is the development of coastguards and law enforcement forces. The Kenyan Government has recently established its first-ever coastguard to supplement its Navy by patrolling Kenya’s territorial waters and safeguarding marine interests in its Exclusive Economic Zone.

However, many countries do not have coastguards or navies capable of patrolling their territorial seas and vast EEZs effectively or the enforcement and judicial machinery necessary to apply their laws. While this situation exists, there is a substantial risk of increased IUU fishing and maritime criminal activities, as well as growing instability at sea.

However, with increased regulation of activities at sea and more international maritime conventions, maritime law enforcement has become more complex, requiring specialist expertise.

Interconnecting maritime centers

There is also a relative consensus on the fact that cooperation between neighbouring countries is fundamental to the provision of maritime security governance at the regional level. Building this cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is going to be difficult due to the diversity of the region and the lack of a clear common interest – other than protecting and securing the oceans and maritime spaces. Sharing data may be a complex and painful process at the national level, but it is even more challenging when you want to share information with other countries. For a State, achieving an effective MDA requires the sharing of information with other countries because of the interconnected nature of maritime security and the fluidity of the maritime domain.

There are several existing MDA information-sharing arrangements in the Indo-Pacific, including multilateral information-sharing or fusion centres, from the East African coasts to Peru. The achievements of these projects remain limited, and the region is far from having an independent and efficient MDA structure. Through its SHARE.IT initiative, the EU is encouraging a greater regional MDA for all partners. Its strength is to be a software accessible to all that supports regional maritime security architecture that should be interlinked.

Marianne Peron-Doise

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During the course IORIS, the neutral and secure maritime information-exchange platform was used. The tool provides centres, organisations, and agencies with means to plan and coordinate maritime operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

The event comprised a three-day course on the Regional IORIS SOP for the Indo-Pacific (RISIP), designed to equip attendees with skills, best practices, and knowledge to deal with the plethora of complex challenges affecting the ever-evolving maritime domain. During the event, participants discussed adopting standardised procedures and language within the Indo-Pacific region to enhance information exchange and operational coordination and to share best practices related to maritime incidents on IORIS.

At the end of the course, a two-day CRIMARIO tabletop exercise named “Watchful Eye” was hosted on IORIS, with experts and stakeholders from across the maritime community, to strengthen maritime security and safety cooperation at the national and regional level. During the exercise, the Regional IORIS Standard Operating Procedures for the Indo-Pacific presented during previous days were tested and evaluated, with scenarios based on narcotics trafficking and search and rescue.

Speaking during the opening event, Kiruja Micheni, Project Manager, Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jedda Amendment (DCoC/JA) International Maritime Organisation, declared: “I extend my gratitude to our hosts, CRIMARIO II, for championing MDA awareness and capacity building in the region. Your generosity and gracious support to the DCoC/JA cannot be left unmentioned and is highly appreciated as we have become great partners in the journey towards implementation of the DCoC/JA.”

Louis Dey, Regional focal point for the EU’s Global Threats and Challenges programme at the European Delegation in Kenya, added: “In an era where our seas and oceans play a pivotal role in global trade and security, it is imperative that we work together effectively. By sharing information and best practices, we enhance our collective ability to respond to maritime challenges, be it in the form of piracy, illegal fishing, or environmental threats. I would like to commend all the participants for their commitment to this cause. Your presence here reflects your dedication to improving our region’s maritime security and safety.”

Opening the exercise, Graham Harrison, from the UNODC’s Global Maritime Crime Programme, said: “The transnational organised crime of narcotic smuggling in this region is destroying our societies. … Exercise WATCHFUL EYE will test our capability to provide quick and accurate transfer of information to regional and national maritime information sharing centres, to be further actioned by State, regional or international forces, to halt and pursue legal finish. ”

Dave Natrass, CRIMARIO II Deputy Director, added: “Through CRIMARIO II and the IORIS platform, which was designed in collaboration with regional partners, we are now able to provide enhanced operational capability for DCoC/JA Signatory States, their centres and their counterparts in the Pacific region, and we continue to work in close synergy as we go forward and strive to meet your needs and expectations.”

To conclude, participants in both activities, including 30 officials from 15 DCoC/JA partner countries and some observers, were guided on how different types of information could and should be shared amongst agencies and regional partners and when, according to IORIS protocols. The final objective was to enhance operations at sea and support the monitoring and reporting of suspicious and precarious vessel movements.

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